


Skipping Coffee

by ButterMyBiscuit



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Annoying Dog is Sentient, F/M, More tags later cause laziness, Nightmares, Reader makes friends too easily, Sans is an ass, This all has a plot I swear, You're just kinda thrown in head first, really fast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-24 14:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13813218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButterMyBiscuit/pseuds/ButterMyBiscuit
Summary: You always told yourself to keep out of their way. They didn't bother you, and you didn't bother them. Next thing you know, you're standing in front of a raging psychotic skeleton asking him to lunch. I mean, you broke your rule, but how could you have known you'd be thrown into the thick of it like that?In which reader gets thrown into situations so fast she gets whiplash.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I am a painfully new user, and have no idea what I'm doing. That being said, nice to meet you, and welcome to my first fic! If you notice any mistakes or have questions, don't be afraid to hit me up! I promise I don't bite! ^^ I have a track record of long forgotten projects, so I'll try my best to keep this one going, but no promises! Another thing, constructive criticism and encouragement, those things get me a long way. If you have helpful advice, or just wanna gush over the fic, you're more than welcome to! Alright, alright, enough of the boring stuff. Now it's time to read the fic!

Sans really hadn't been planning to stop. At all. It wasn't his business, and wasn't worth his effort, but he couldn't help seeing it and relating to it. A mob of people clogged the entrance, some holding signs and some shouting. Their faces seemed to be permanently down turned.

It reminded him of anti-monster protests. It had been years since they had reached the surface, but somehow protests still existed. The thought always made him a bit touchy.

So it totally wasn't his fault if he needed some stress relief. Besides, he was just gonna scare them a little...

The crowd wasn't ready for the looming monster, radiating calm fury as he snapped signs like toothpicks. Maybe he was using magic to make it easier, but they wouldn't know the difference. His menacing grin and dark looks were more than enough to dispatch the crowd, most fleeing in terror. You didn't have to be a monsterphobe to run from a psychopath. He grinned at the wreckage. Not that he could easily frown at it. That took effort. He wasn't one for effort.

Something tugged his jacket and he stiffened. He didn't turn. It was one of those protesters, they probably came back to try and face him. Moron.

They tugged again. He whipped around and gnashed his teeth, eyes gleaming with menacing glee.

A small girl flinched away and squeaked, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to back away.

Huh.

*POV Switch*

You had only wanted a cup of coffee. Some sweet ambrosia to set you off on your day. Instead your mood was darkened by the protest outside an abortion clinic. You were strongly opinionated, sure, but you weren't about to face down a mob of angry preachers. So you settled for glaring at them from across the street. You watched as a girl fought her way through them, trying to get into the clinic. It obviously wasn't easy. They did their best to block her way, and she shriveled under their glares and discouragements.

Imagine your surprise when a FUCKING SKELETON DRIVES THEM OFF INTO THE ABYSS OF TERROR. You weren't sure if he was mental or passionate, but you were leaning a bit more toward mental. He had snapped signs and growled ferally at anyone who opposed him. It was like watching a rabid dog let loose.

The girl slipped into the clinic, nearly unnoticed.

He seemed unstable, and you could practically feel dark energy radiating around him from across the street. Which was why you were so surprised when you were already crossing it.

You stood behind him for what felt like eternity, shaking and breathing quickly. You had no idea how he would react, he was a dangerous stranger that just scattered an angry mob like bugs.

You took a deep breath and tugged lightly on his jacket.

...

He didn't move.

What? Didn't he feel it? Should you say something?

You try to speak, but your jaw refuses to move, and your throat is clogged with fear.

You reach out again, your fingers just barely pulling on the fabric when...

Sharp teeth snapped down an inch from your face, your brain not even capable of processing the movement.

With a strangled sound you yanked your hand back and attempted to stumble away, heart pounding. You look up at him in shock, trembling. You hadn't expected that, despite your internal warnings...

"get lost, doll."

You startled when he spoke, and before you could help it, words came tumbling out of your mouth, frantic to find an explanation you didn't have.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to bother you I just thought it was really cool that you cared enough to scare them off and I wanted to thank you for standing up for that girl so I wanted to ask if I could buy you lunch."

*POV Switch*

He found your skittishness amusing to say the least. He had honestly expected you to fall on your ass when you backed up that fast. Unfortunately he really didn't need a sass fight with a teenage girl in public.

"get lost, doll." He watched you jump at the sound, and restrained from chuckling. You were like those rabbits. He stared you down, waiting for you to turn and leave.

He had been caught off guard when he turned around, but he was practically shoved over when you started...

Thanking him?

Honestly, how oblivious could you be? He wasn't helping anyone but himself. He was about to tell you to get lost again, but...

" - if I could buy you lunch."

Free food? No way in hell he was gonna turn that down.

*POV Switch*

You took a second to breathe, relieved you had come up with an excuse that quickly. It wasn't far from the truth, whatever that was. However, you did just ask a skeleton out to lunch. A scary, psychotic skeleton. Just the thought of sitting across a table from him made you sweat nervously.

"i'm never one to turn down a meal, now doll face."

He grinned at you, (was it really a grin if he can't move his face?) and you blanch at the pointed teeth, a golden 'fang' starkly contrasting against bleach white bone. You suppress a shiver and try to slap a convincing smile on your face.

"That's great!" You hear your voice quiver. What a give away.

"So there's this cafe a way down the street, if that's okay?"

He chuckles and looks you over.

"whatever suits you."

You can feel nervous sweat trickle down your back. Thank God you were wearing a thick sweater, else you'd have to hide a killer sweat stain.

There's a tense silence. You have no idea what to say, so you whip around and start walking.

You don't hear his footsteps, but you can... feel? him following you. He picks up the pace to walk beside you, hands in his pockets. You take a moment to really look him over, it was a lot to take in. I mean, obviously. He was a frickn skeleton monster. You had seen monsters before, almost on a daily basis, but never a skeleton monster. Besides, even if you had he was still Huge with a capital H. Not as big as some monsters you had seen but still frightening. His hands were nearly bigger than your head, you could have called them meat hooks if he wasn't all bone. He was thickset, fairly wide. Probably would have trouble fitting through a narrow doorway. You would laugh if he didn't look like he could snap you like a pencil.

He was wearing a large unzipped black jacket and a red turtleneck underneath. The jacket had a large hood and an obscene amount of fluff. It looked like something you could have found comfortable. You looked a little further down and disgraced yourself with a double take. He was wearing... basketball shorts? Yeah, black basketball shorts. I mean, he probably didn't have to dress for the weather, skeletons couldn't feel cold, right? Right? 

From what you could tell, his bones were thicker than a human skeleton, if you could draw a conclusion from his legs alone. His fibula was thicker than your upper arm, and his tibia didn't look easy to break either-

...

Was he wearing FUCKIN SLIPPERS?

"like what ya see?" You shiver at his dark chuckle. He sounded... Tense. Aggressive even.

"Sure."

You startled yourself with your answer, but it seems to diffuse the situation. He chuckles again, still dark, but it feels lighter.

You're surprised by how quickly you reached the cafe. Sure, it was a short walk, but not THAT short! You simply open the door and walk in, having been there many times before, the skelet-

...

You never had learned his name, had you?

Well, the skeleton took the time to scan the room before stepping in. He seemed relaxed but... His shoulders were a bit too stiff to pull it off.

You promptly seated yourself in a booth and waited, glancing from him to the seat. He didn't need a hint. He frowned as he slid in, his... eyes? focused on something behind you. Before you can turn around out of curiosity, he speaks.

"come here often doll face, or d'ya wait till ya get home?"

You sit for a second, confusion etched on your face, and it slowly dawns on you. His grin somehow gets wider as he watches your face morph from confusion, then indignation, into embarrassment. Without your consent, a low whine hums in the back of your throat.

He looks shocked at first, his grin fading, before it comes back in full force. His face turns slightly red and he... bites his lip? He shuts his eyes and tears squeeze out the corners, his shoulders shaking in an effort to restrain himself, and suddenly...

He EXPLODES.

It's a deep gut laugh, shoulders quaking, one hand on his stomach, the other pounding on the table in a fist. There are tears running down his face, and he's wheezing like he's having an asthma attack. You're almost concerned, but your burning face reminds you that he's just...

Unique.

While he slowly comes down, gasping like a fish out of water, tears leaking down his cheeks, you look for a waiter. You can't seem to find any, and a frown creases your face.

"awe come on now sweet cheeks, i'm just kidding around witcha." He chuckles, and you can tell there was a joke there, but you can't find it. He seems to have recovered fully, elbows on the table as he leans toward you.

"That's a long name." You say tiredly, chin resting on your hand as you prop your elbow on the table.

He takes in your bored expression, and deadpan joke, and chuckles. Not as good of a reaction as last time, but he liked it.

There's a small scuffle going on by the cash register, and you turn to see a bunch of staff nervously crowded together. They keep glancing your way and huddling back in, obviously the subject of their conversation was the skeleton in your booth.

You huff. Well that's fuckin rude.

When you turn around, Red-

Huh. Yeah I guess that's fitting.

Red seems tense, watching them with a gaze you could describe as predatory and wary at the same time. You clear your throat and he spares you a glance before settling his stare on the staff again.

"Y/n"

"huh?" He looks at you, eyes sharp. You blanch but manage to recover quickly.

"My name is y/n. And you are?"

He huffs, casually reaching to the end of the booth, grabbing a bottle of mustard. Your brow wrinkles in confusion before he lifts it over his head and STRAIGHT UP SQUIRTS IT INTO HIS MOUTH.

You gag and turn away, taking a second to push the nausea down. When you glance up, he licks yellow smears off his pointed teeth and winks at you.

"sans." He nearly growls, and you can't help but think his voice sounds nice. Deadly, but smooth.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Sans." You reply, once again resting your chin on one hand. He chuckles, but you don't get the joke.

"is it really?" His tone is dark, and... his pupils, if you can call them that, are gone.

"Only if you play nice." You shoot back, instantly defensive.

He stills for a moment, one skeletal hand nearly crushing the mustard bottle. His grip slowly eases, and his pupils flicker back. You hadn't noticed, but the air seemed a lot lighter, and you gasped like you had been holding your breath. Maybe you had?

Someone coughs quietly, and you look up to see a waitress. She's rubbing her sweating palms together nervously, and her eyes keep flicking over to Sans.

"Excuse me miss, but uh... We have to ask you and your friend to leave?" She says it slowly, and almost like a question. She seems unsure.

"What?!" You straighten your back, looking at her incredulously.

"It's just that uhhh... You're disturbing the other customers..." Her voice is really quiet, and she's standing unnaturally still.

You look around and notice that, indeed, almost everyone is staring at you two, and those that aren't are looking at their food very intensely. Sans doesn't seem surprised. He just gets up from the booth, and the waitress scrambles back, her arms raising slightly as if to potentially shield herself.

"I'm really sorry about this." She mumbles quietly, glancing up at you. She really does seem sincere.

You sigh in defeat and stand too.

"Don't worry about it. It's not your decision." You glance at Sans, hoping he isn't too upset. The last thing you need is a destroyed cafe and a police interrogation. Surprisingly enough, his face is completely neutral.

You walk out, Sans just behind you.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know they weren't monster friendly." You can feel more sweat trickling down your back, your face burning. That had been embarrassing.

"no problem, kid. i got betta things ta do anyway." He swigs from a bottle of mustard...

From the cafe. God damnit.

"why don't ya scurry on home. i'm sure your parents are waitin for ya." He chuckles, and turns to leave.

"Um. Excuse me?!" You snap back, and he turns to raise an eyebrow at you.

... He doesn't even have eyebrows...

How the fuck does he do that?

"I'm not a kid." You huff indignantly. He just laughs at you.

"sure ya are! you're wearing stripes." You had no idea what that had to do with age, but you whip out your wallet, shoving your driver's license in his face.

"I'm twenty five you bonehead!" He takes a minute to scrutinize the id before squinting down at you.

"nah." With a wicked grin, he turns and walks away. You stand there silently in shock for a moment, then rush after him.

"It's true!" You yell unnecessarily, glaring up at him. He keeps walking, his grin so wide it might split his face.

"oh sure. why don't you buy me a drink then?" He chuckles like he came up with some unpassable challenge.

"Fine." He seems a little surprised, but otherwise doesn't react. He keeps walking. You're having trouble keeping pace.

"I said fine!"

"i know. just wait." He grins at you, and keeps walking, you have to jog after him.

As you glance around, you notice that you're straying further and further into one of the darker parts of the city. You want to stop him and protest, but... You couldn't bring yourself to do it, for whatever reason.

You're getting a bit jumpy, staying in the middle of the sidewalk as best you can, and walking fairly close to Sans. The few people you see on the street are monsters, and it slowly dawns on you that this is one of the monster neighborhoods. With so many humans against them, they had subconsciously chosen to live closer together, creating designated neighborhoods for themselves. Unfortunately, most of them weren't very pretty.

They glared at you with strange, hungry eyes, and one particular monster leapt out at you from the shadows.

You squealed and instinctively clutched Sans' jacket. The monster cackled and shrank back into the alley. You quickly released your death grip and tried to stop the burning in your cheeks. Sans laughed at you.

"you're lucky ya came with me. 'else you woulda been jumped by now." This didn't make you feel any better. You sped up and walked even closer to him. You knew monsters weren't the friendly type, but this was concerning to say the least. The farthest you had gotten to befriending a monster was Sans, and that wasn't much.

Ahead, a flashing neon sign reads 'Grillby's'. It's the friendliest looking thing here, so you sigh in relief when Sans opens the door and walks in.

You slip in and don't look back at the glaring monsters behind you.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just so I'm making this clear, no I don't update every day. I just have a few chapters already completed, and I don't see a point in making you guys wait. I don't know how often I'll be updating in the future, but I'm gonna try for once a week. Unfortunately, my chapters are fairly short, so you guys are just gonna have to hang in there. Sorry about that ^^'

It was a lot warmer in the bar, in fact, it was almost humid. If there wasn't an awkward sweat stain on the back of your sweater yet, there was going to be. The trickles of sweat seemed to turn into a river when you locked eyes with nearly every monster in the joint. No one looked very friendly.

You hustle to stay close to Sans. You weren't exactly close, but you were fairly sure he wouldn't rip out your throat. You couldn't say the same for some of these monsters.

He sits down at the bar and you hurriedly take a seat next to him. There doesn't seem to be anybody working here? Where are the staff?

To try and stop your sweating, you hurriedly unwrapped your little red scarf from around your neck.

Sans swings around on his stool to face the tables. You keep your back turned and hunch over, hoping in vain that you wouldn't be noticed.

"stop ya glaring now. she's with me." Sans lazes on the stool, seemingly relaxed. He catches your eye and winks at you. The monsters seem to accept it and move on, their eyes sliding from you as they continue business as usual.

The 'employees only' door swings open, and the room turns slightly purple. Imagine your surprise when literal fire steps in. A PURPLE FIRE MAN.

Just add it to the long list that made up your wierd day.

He steps behind the bar and you flinch back as he approaches, expecting the flames to sear your face. You nearly fall off your stool, and automatically right yourself, and instead of burning heat, a pleasant warmth seems to eminate from... him? I mean, they looked like a him.

Sans laughs at you, and suddenly the heat on your face isn't just from the bartender. You grump at him, but draw your attention away to focus on a living flame. You couldn't help but be curious. You had so many questions, and when he looked at you with a nuetral expression, instead of the aggressive stare you expected, they came pouring out.

"Oh my god this is so cool are you fire why do you have a face can I touch you would it burn do you ever feel heat can you get cold why don't you burn something when you touch it how come your clothes don't burn does water hurt you how do you stay together can you change shape-"

"woah, woah, chill dollface." Sans holds out his hands in a placating gesture, like one would do when they want a dog to settle down. "he can answer your questions one at a time."

"Yes, I am made of fire," You whip your head to the bartender, lingering on each word. It's sweet and smoky, like smooth barbeque sauce. However, it's undeniably dark. "I have a face just like most monsters, it's not that unusual. You could touch me, yes. I only burn if I want to." He begins slowly polishing a glass, his flames making it glitter and reflect the dancing light. "I can feel heat, just as I can feel the cold, as I said before my touch only burns if I want it to. The same rule applies to my clothing. Magic holds my form together, and only this form, I might add. Finally, yes. Water does hurt, I recommend that you never take it anywhere near me."

His voice is surprisingly cold nearing the end.

"What is your name, child?" It's back to normal again, but you can't help the shiver that creeps down your spine.

"It's y/n. And you are?" You're not sure if that's nervous sweat or normal sweat chilling your flesh, but you choke it down and put out your hand.

"Grillby." He says simply. He reaches out, and out of pure instinct you nearly pull your hand back. Your struggle to stay still pays off when he gently grasps your hands, like one would a child. His touch is warm and tingly, but not quite solid. It's like holding water. An impossible concept.

You hold on for a bit longer than usual, enraptured by the strange feeling, before eventually letting go.

Sans seems a bit put off by Grillby's behavior, you can only assume this is at least slightly out of character. It's a little out of character for you too, If you're being honest. You never imagined you'd be holding hands with a man made of flames in a monster bar.

"i'll have the usual, grillbz." You felt your stomach churn when Sans spoke, and you silently hoped it wasn't mustard.

It was mustard.

The second Grillby set down the bottle, he turned to you and Sans snatched it away eagerly.

"And you?" He spoke patiently, but his fingers drummed against the counter. You blanched.

"I uh- don't drink alcohol." You muttered. Grillby just chuckled, but Sans choked on his... drink.

"ya don't drink, doll?!" He looks incredulous, you just lean back and nod. Was it that hard to believe?

"why not?" He leans in, and seems interested enough. There was no way in hell you'd tell him the full story, but you could spare him a few details.

Grillby set a glass of water in front of you. He was wearing... oven mitts... to protect himself from the condensation. Well that's ironic. It's even better when he slips a silly straw into your drink.

"I've had some bad experiences with it in the past." You chuckled nervously, scratching at your arm.

His gaze flickered down to your fingers, and returned to your face. He seems to examine you for a moment before he's content.

"well hit me up when ya get back in the game kitten." He chuckles deeply, phalanges curled around his bottle. You return a nervous giggle.

Despite the absence of angry glares, you're still incredibly tense, rigid in your seat. You jump violently when something brushes against your leg.

With a muffled squeak, you pull your leg away, surprised by thick white fur. An average sized dog is sitting at the feet of your stool, looking up at you expectantly. You probably should have thought before reaching down to pet it. It had obviously been a monster, despite its normal appearance.

Your fingers threaded carefully through the shaggy fur behind its ears, and it shook violently. Like intense vibrations.

You gasped and yanked your hand back, but took pity on it when it whined up at you, eyes watery and remorseful.

This time it refrained from shaking, but the hum and tingle of magic was unmistakable now that you were searching for it.

"aw come on!" You startle as Sans complains loudly. "now he'll never leave ya alone." He glares down at the dog, and it yips happily, although the bark was slightly warped and distorted.

"The dog?" You couldn't really see it as an annoyance, or a stalker for that matter. You continue to rigorously scratch behind his ears. 

"annoying dog," He confirmed, "he has that name for a reason." Sans glowered at the dog as it slobbered messily over itself.

"I think he's sweet." Sans turns his glare on you.

"you'll reconsider when he keeps poppin up like a fuckin weasel." He snorts in disdain, and you can't help but be a little taken aback. You stop scratching Annoying Dog, and he takes it as a cue to move away. Sans turns and orders a beer.

You watch Annoying Dog prance from table to booth back to table. Ignored by every monster he keens at. You feel a little bad for him. However, he doesn't come running back, so you turn back to the bar.

"hey dollface, wanna hear a joke?" Sans is grinning at you from behind his beer, the sparks of his eyes gleaming with ill intent.

You nod mutely. You knew he wouldn't take no for an answer anyway.

"pussy." His grin widens further as you splutter, your face alight. You struggle to find words appropriate for the situation.

"I-I don't get it?" If his grin gets any wider, it will expand past his face for God's sake.

"exactly." It takes you a second to piece it together. Sans looks like he's going to explode. Your words spill out before you can stop yourself.

"That's rich coming from someone who has every bone except the best one." Grillby chuckles darkly and Sans chokes on his drink. He recovers quickly, and looms over you, his bulk far surpassing threatening.

You were starting to think you had finally crossed a line, when he smirks at you.

"that's where you're wrong, kitten." What?! Surely he couldn't have-?! No. You didn't want to know.

Beet red, you turn away. This day was so far from what you had been expecting.

"well it's been great sweetheart, truly, but I got shit ta do." He winked at you, and just like that he was gone. No poof, no fireworks, no cloud of dust. Just a soft pop, and nothing.

You fell backward off your stool.

With a sharp breath through your gritted teeth, you rubbed your soon to be sore ass. You looked around in a panic now that Sans was gone, but despite a few monsters looking you over, no one seemed to show any interest in you.

You paid Grillby and nervously tied your scarf back around your neck. A chuckle stops you before you step away from the bar. Grillby was giving you a once over, the normally flickering assets of his face solid and sharp with attention.

"Don't fret about your walk home, child. No one will fool with you today." After delivering a cryptic as fuck message, he goes back to casually cleaning the same glass he's been polishing for the past twenty minutes.

Typical. You would ask what he meant, but you knew he wouldn't give you a straight answer. Or an answer at all.

With a huff, you march yourself outside.

*POV Switch*

He didn't quite know what made him do it. Any of it, to be honest.

It had started out as free food, but if it was just that, he would have left the second they were booted from the cafe.

Instead, he had chosen to lead you on, to his favorite bar, no less.

He wasn't going to pretend he knew what was going on, but he had some theories. 

No matter the reason, he had still done it. When your back was turned, he had left a trace amount of magic on your sweater. It wasn't enough to cling to you for a long amount of time, but it would see you out of the monster's part of the city.

Hopefully the lack of a more permanent mark wouldn't embolden anyone with slick ideas.

He had effectively placed you under his protection, even if only temporarily, and it bothered him.

So much he decided it was best if he left sooner rather than later. It was like your presence was intercepting any good judgement he could have had.

He had left his beer nearly untouched, sitting alone on the counter beside a glass of water, a cheerful pink silly straw jutting out and over both drinks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey! Look who's back with another chapter, just for you! It could have been smoother, but I'm willing to go back over it later during a writer's block. For now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

You had made it home safely, no thanks to Sans or Grillby's cryptic ass prediction. The walk gave you a lot of time to think.

You noticed something you had never even bothered to pay attention to before.

There were so many monsters. All sorts of shapes and colors and sizes and personalities. They were endless. They often stood with other monsters, but you saw the occasional human mixed in.

They were so hard to miss, how had you never fully taken them in?

Because you were scared. You had been, at least. Every time you passed one on the street you would lower your gaze, when they caught your eye you would turn away, when they asked you a question you would mumble and scamper off.

Now that you had met Sans, you observed all the monsters around you. Truly saw them for what they were.

Souls.

Not unlike your own.

They suddenly seemed softer. Less pointed edges, smoother surfaces, cleaner appearances. They all just lost their bite. You would still fear one if they made an obvious threat, but it was no longer the irrational fear that had you turning a blind eye.

Guess you had Sans to thank for that.

Speaking of Sans, you weren't sure how you felt about him. He was a threat. He was menacing and dirty and powerful. Yet at the same time he had not hurt you, or threatened you, or tried anything against you. Something about him screamed 'complicated' and there was a slightly twisted look in his eye, a glimmer. A shrewd spark of understanding, complex intelligence. You weren't sure if you liked it or not.

It was like he knew everything. About things that shouldn't exist.

You shivered. You had no idea where that thought came from.

Well, either way, you didn't trust him. He seemed pretty okay, but you couldn't be sure.

You had always taken the phrase 'don't judge a book by its cover' to heart but-

You stumble into something sitting on the ground, the sidewalk hurtling toward your face. You barely have enough time to squeeze your eyes shut before...

Your face doesn't connect with the ground. You peek one eye open and get a face full of annoying dog.

Someone hauls you back up by your elbow, and you take a breath before turning to thank them.

You squeak in surprise as a fish monster looms over you, a tense expression on her face.

"U-um... Thank you!" You manage to squeeze out a thanks before you make a fool of yourself. Annoying Dog nudges at your hand.

"Watch where you step, kid." It's a cold snarl, but you don't seem to find any aggression in it. Something tells you that it would have been different if you had met this woman before Sans.

"Uhhhh... Sure-" Before you can continue, she stalks off, her gait predatory and unnerving. You watch her go before turning to your would-be-tripper.

"You mangy mutt!" You cry out as you drop down, rigorously rubbing and smushing his face. He sneezes and barks excitedly. It still seems a little off.

"What are you doing here, big guy?" He doesn't answer, obviously. You chuckle and bid him farewell.

He gives you a confused and hurt look as you walk off without him.

It takes you a while to finally reach your apartment, and by then it's too late to go back and get good coffee when you realize you forgot to do so in the day's excitement.

You brew yourself some bean juice in a crappy twenty dollar coffee maker. It'll have to do.

You gather your mug, a spoon, and your sugar bowl as you wait for it to finish brewing. You tap your nails on the counter as you wait, humming to yourself.

When it's finally done, you take your time pouring it and perfecting it to your personal tastes. Of course you stopped to sniff the coffee grounds too, because those smell like caffeine heaven.

With a sigh, you wrap your hands around the steaming mug and take a seat at your table.

You look around your apartment. It's small and outdated, the wallpaper slightly yellowing. Your furniture is shabby and well loved, stains from coffee and food a testament to your sloppy eating habits.

All in all, it was worn out but cozy. It felt lived in. However, in that moment, an emotion that you never expected hit you with a pang in the chest.

You were lonely. You hadn't always lived alone, but it had been this way for awhile now. You felt it most when you were awake late at night.

It was a heavy, oppressive feeling. You didn't like it.

Something scratched at the door. You tense, clutching your untouched mug of coffee. Any normal person would have knocked.

It scratches again. You know how when you're watching a horror movie, and there's a weird sound, and you scream at the person to run but they continue to investigate.

Yeah. You were going to pull an oblivious dumbass move.

You stood and moved to the door, peeking out through the peep hole. You couldn't see anything.

Against your better judgement, you unlocked and opened the door.

"Yip!" Annoying Dog greeted you cheerfully, tail wagging vigorously. You sighed in relief.

But how did he get in?

You glanced around the hall, but no one seemed to be around. Annoying Dog slips in past your legs.

"Annoying Dog! No! You can't just-" He gave you a casual look, as if daring you to say he couldn't just walk in. Sometimes you forgot he was actually a monster. Probably capable of independent thought.

He took a seat on your couch and stared out the window, tail thumping on the cushions.

You were about to politely ask him to leave, but something about this image is just right.

You close the door and sit back down at your table. As you watch him yap excitedly at passing cars, something clicks into place.

It was like he belonged there.

You swallow the dismissal with a sip of coffee. Guess he's staying then.

You can't help but smile.


	4. Chapter 4

You weren't exactly sure how it had happened, but the two of you fell into a kind of routine.

You would feed him before you went to bed, then go to your room. He wasn't allowed in there, he was sentient after all. You somehow always managed to fall into a restless, nightmare filled sleep, and come morning, would be tangled in your sheets, drenched in sweat.

He'd wake you up by barking at the door, which you'd silence with an angry grunt. He'd wait patiently as you got dressed and ready, then would attack you as you opened the door, getting dog hair all over your clothes.

You ate quickly, sometimes giving Annoying Dog a lick of peanut butter, or shred of ham, then you were off.

The two of you would walk to your new favorite cafe, as you had stopped going to the last one. You didn't want to support a monsterphobic cafe, no matter how good it was. Besides, you couldn't bring Annoying Dog in there anyway.

You would get some coffee, a few people would fawn over Annoying Dog, then you would be on your way. 

It was always an uneventful walk. No one even recognized Annoying Dog as a monster, except other monsters. Ever since you started walking with him they seemed to pay you more attention.

Most looked confused, others had a rather neutral expression, a few even laughed at you. 

You preferred it over their casual glaring.

Well, this walk was a little different. You were walking past a small pub when someone called to you softly.

"Hello dreary deary." You make the mistake of stopping, your eyes lock with glowing crimson orbs in the shadows of the ally.

Before you know it, you've already been pulled in.

"Oh, would you like to buy a muffin, deary?" Her fanged smile strikes a cold blow onto your heart. You can't bring yourself to move.

Annoying Dog seizes the back of your sweater and tries to pull you back, snarling as he gives his best effort. She simply drags him with you.

With a yelp, he releases you and bolts off. You can hear his paws hitting the ground as he flees.

You're inches away, her breath is almost cold as it drafts across your cheek. She sniffs you, ...     ..........

She just fucking sniffed you.

"Ah, yes I thought so." Her smile tightens. "I knew someone had marked you, but- oh heavens this is just delectable!" She hummed incredulously to herself. You weren't sure if you liked being called delectable in the hands of a giant spider.

"What are you talking about?" You continue to flail in her grip, gritting your teeth.

"Muffet." A familiar voice greets your ears and you nearly sob in relief, though you can't quite place where you know it from.

The spider looks disappointed as it glares off into the space behind you.

Annoying Dog barks a greeting.

Good boy.

"Since we're all trying so hard to get along up here, I'm gonna give you one chance to walk away." Muffet huffs as she sets you down, but you see the fear instilled by the rough voice reflecting in her eyes.

She hurries past you, radiating a pissy aura before booking it.

You turn to face your savior.

It's the fish woman! The one who had saved your face from a horrible, fluffy end!

"Wow. You're really unimpressive, kid."

Well that was rude. You try to protest, but she cuts you off quickly.

"I should have known you would get into trouble. He thinks he's so smooth, but I could smell it the second I walked by. It hasn't faded a bit." She growled, although it didn't sound angry. It was more similar to someone who had just woken up and was a little grouchy.

"W-what do you mean?" You couldn't help the waver in your voice. After all, you were listening to a delusional fish woman that just saved you from a giant spider.

She looked down on you with a forced casual face. It would have convinced you if her eyes weren't so strained.

"You really don't know yet? Well, I guess no one would really walk up and blurt it out to you anyway. It'd practically be suicide for most." She chuckled to herself, some kind of inside joke, you guessed.

"Well, I could tell you, and explain all of this, but this isn't my mess. Why waste my time?" She huffs and turns, her boots clunking as she stalks off.

You open your mouth to call her back but her head turns as she tosses a single sentence over her shoulder. One that makes you shudder.

"If you really want an answer, you'll find Sans." She was gone before you could even fully process it.

How did she know you had met Sans? She acted like she could smell it on you, but that wasn't possible, right? It had been nearly a week since you had seen him! Monsters had a good sense of smell, but not that strong! At least, you hoped.

Any normal person would have walked away, pretended none of this had happened. They would have turned and never looked back. You, however, knew this wasn't an option. Not for you. Your morbid curiosity had already taken hold and wouldn't let go for anything.

Now you could only wonder, how exactly can you find Sans?

Annoying Dog whined at you, tail thumping expectantly against the ground.

Suddenly, you knew exactly where you were going to look. 

"You up for a longer walk, AD?"

*POV Switch*

"Sans."

"Undyne. Didn't expect you t'be here."

"Stop fucking around Sans. Your pet is looking for you."

Sans choked on his pun, confused. Pet?

"I think ya hit ya head Undyne. I've never had a pet."

"Your girl, Sans. The one that reeks of you."

Well shit.

"Caught Muffet sniffing around her not even an hour ago. She's bound to come looking for answers after I dropped your name."

"Goddamnit Undyne."

Of course Undyne would send the human after him.

"I'd go get her if I were you. She's bound to get into trouble if she's looking in the right places."

"This isn't over, Undyne." Sans growled lowly at her, but didn't waste his time yet. He didn't need you snooping around.

He was gone before Undyne could laugh at him.

He didn't even take the time to think of how concerned he actually was.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to post again! I get a little caught up in real life and kinda put some stuff on the back burner. But no worries! I am back ^^'

This was the second time you had passed up on coffee for Sans. You couldn't find it in yourself to be agitated, your curiosity was too strong.

You hardly remembered the way, but it wasn't hard to know you were going the right way.

The streets seemed to get darker without the sun going down, and the air got thicker. You started seeing more monsters on the street, and the buildings got progressively shabbier.

You felt... vulnerable. You were getting strange looks as you passed others on the sidewalk, and you don't think it was because of Annoying Dog.

Speaking of Annoying Dog, you had nearly forgotten he was there. He had been unbelievably quiet since your encounter with the fish woman.

Annoying Dog didn't seem like it, but he was a perfectly sentient monster. He could understand what you said, but did that mean-?

"AD?" He looked up at you, his fur blurring slightly as he vibrated. He still wasn't quite used to attention. "Do you remember where Grillby's is?"

He padded ahead, and you immediately picked up the pace to follow him. It was so easy to forget that he was just like everyone else.

You were relieved when your eyes rested on the glow of Grillby's sign. You and Annoying Dog slipped in gratefully. You looked around for Sans, but he didn't seem to be in at the moment.

But, luck seemed to be on your side when Grillby once again stepped behind the bar. You hurried to take a seat, Annoying Dog trotting behind you, and he seemed genuinely surprised to see the two of you.

"Grillby," You forced yourself to greet him casually, choking down your nerves.

"Good morning, y/n. Care to share what you're doing here so early?" The flame casually props himself against the bar, polishing a glass.

You bet it was the same exact fuckin one as last time. It sparkled so much it was nearly blinding.

"I'm looking for Sans." As if it wasn't obvious.

Grillby chuckled, his methodical actions halting for a split second before he resumed his work.

"You're looking in the wrong place, Sans won't be here until noon." Of course he wouldn't. Yet you were lucky he would even show up today, supposedly. Who comes to a bar at noon?

"In that case, can I get some fries?" It was only common decency to at least order something if you were going to be hogging his seat.

Grillby nodded and set off for the kitchen, and you suddenly felt very alone. One might even say vulnerable.

Annoying Dog whined and nudged your leg. You absently reached down to rub his head, taking comfort in the soft fur.

You looked around nervously, but no one seemed to be paying you any attention. Just another customer at the bar.

A flaming hand set your fries in front of you and you nearly jumped. It was almost impossible to miss the flame man, but it seems you managed to do it.

"Thanks Grillby." He just nods again and goes back to cleaning his glass.

The fries scald your fingers and burn the roof of your mouth, but the taste more than makes up for it. You look down at Annoying Dog and he pouts at you.

Normally you wouldn't feed a dog in a bar, but he's not exactly a dog, now is he? 

You decide to chance it and toss him a fry. He chews strangely, opening his mouth too wide like he's gasping for breath.

You remember how hot the fries are.

"Oh my God! AD I'm so sorry!" You gently curl your fingers around his face in a sincere apology, but he just huffs amiably at you.

This time you wait a bit before giving him a fry.

Before you know it your fries are gone and the tick of impatience is getting to you. You wanted to talk to Sans, but honestly there was no way you were sitting around that long.

You slipped some cash onto the counter and slid off the stool. You had to get groceries anyway.

With Annoying Dog at your heels, you made your way to the door. It swung wide open and smacked you in the face.

"Shit!" You screeched in confusion as you went down, your arms flailing in vain to grab something to stop your fall.

Your fists clamped down on the front of his jacket.

There, in all his smug glory, was Sans. Annoying Dog barked in greeting, vibrating with excitement.

"Before you crack some wise ass joke about falling for you, I'm gonna warn you that I'm not in the mood."

It must have been a real sight. An angry woman half on the floor, half supported by the jacket of a giant skeleton.

His grin only grew wider. 

You hauled yourself up, firmly grasping his jacket for leverage. He didn't budge an inch, even with the added weight.

"I thought you never got here until noon?" It dawned on you a little too late that what you said was slightly creepy and stalkerish.

He just shrugged.

"thought I'd come early today."

Your luck was strange. You would admit that, but right now you had questions.

"why don't you sit down doll?"

Before you can protest, and finally demand answers, he shuffles toward the bar.

You figure it wouldn't hurt to cooperate for now, so you seat yourself at a clean booth. You keep your eyes on him as he orders fries. You prepared yourself for the conversation coming up.

He finally made it to your booth with two baskets of golden fries, and Annoying Dog whined beside you.

You ignored him, and admittedly felt a little bad.

"What did she mean?"

"what did who mean?" You felt your eye twitch in annoyance. You just knew he was playing dumb.

"Muffet. The giant ass spider woman. She told me I reeked of you."

Sans sighed. It wasn't so much upset as it was lazy and dramatic, like merely explaining used too much energy.

"i marked ya."

"The fuck does that mean?"

Sans sighed, this time with exasperation. How were you supposed to know what it meant?

Despite your obvious advantage, you felt a little defensive.

"i marked ya with my magic. like a scent mark. she could smell it on ya."

He looked down at his fries. He didn't touch them, just stared like he was trying to avoid your gaze.

It was certainly strange to see. This giant monster seemed afraid to look you in the eye. He could probably crush you if he had the urge to.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Sans snorted and laughed like you had just finished the punchline of a joke. You didn't really appreciate the joke. He looked up at you, and you felt a shiver go down your spine. You had almost forgotten how intense his eyes were. They were unnerving.

"maybe for you."

You felt you throat close up and your stomach drop. That didn't sound like your ideal answer.

"What does that mean?"

"don't worry bout it dollface. why don't ya just come with me?" He grinned at you, his gold tooth winking deviously.

...

"EXCUSE ME?!" You felt your cheeks heat up drastically, and you cursed your warm face.

He laughed at you yet again, and you wished you could punch out that annoying little golden tooth of his. You weren't really digging his humor.

"as much as i'd love to do exactly what your dirty lil mind is thinkin', i actually just want to show ya somethin'."

That asshole knew what he was implying! You wanted to set him straight more than anything else in the world, but you quieted your outraged thoughts and sat still.

You were curious.

"Lead the way, asshole."


End file.
